Using the COM server with mingw?

[RudolphRiedel]

I am trying to use the COM server with mingw.
The Windows/app is a Visual Studio project, correct? So the necessary header file(s) are automatically generated, or did I just not find them?
What appears to be missing is a header file for the COM server API, from CLSID over the structure definitions to the methods.

[RudolphRiedel]

Ok, when asking the right questions instead of trying to provide the information the AI is asking for, you may find out out mingw has a tool named widl for exactly this, it converts .idl files to header files.

widl -h -o supercan_com_interface.h supercan_srv.idl

The result was the attached header file:
supercan_com_interface.zip

Now I just have to wait for Claude to talk to me again so that it might finish the job I was asking for using the new header file. :-)

[jgressmann]

The Visual studio build process generates the necessary files from the .idl file automatically and builds them. I don’t think the COM server code supports building with another toolchain at this time.For an integration example that should work without Visual Studio, the plugin for the Windows Python CAN bus tools is a good place to start. AFAIK it builds with the gnu toolchain.On 28. Feb 2026, at 14:02, RudolphRiedel ***@***.***> wrote: Ok, when asking the right questions instead of trying to provide the information the AI is asking for, you may find out out mingw has a tool named widl for exactly this, it converts .idl files to header files. widl -h -o supercan_com_interface.h supercan_srv.idl The result was the attached header file: supercan_com_interface.zip Now I just have to wait for Claude to talk to me again so that it might finish the job I was asking for using the new header file. :-) —Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[RudolphRiedel]

I am getting closer though. :-)
I fed parts of the demo code into Claude and now supercan_srv.h is also included.
The interface is initialized now, but it looks like the configuration is not applied.
And again Claude is not talking to me anymore for a few hours, but maybe this is a good thing. :-)

[RudolphRiedel]

Har! :-)

[jgressmann]

Wow, congrats!On 28. Feb 2026, at 20:30, RudolphRiedel ***@***.***> wrote: Har! :-) grafik.png (view on web) —Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[jgressmann]

Did you succeed in building the COM server with MinGW?On 28. Feb 2026, at 20:30, RudolphRiedel ***@***.***> wrote: Har! :-) grafik.png (view on web) —Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[RudolphRiedel]

I was not even trying to build the COM server with MinGW, all needed was to use it. :-)

[RudolphRiedel]

Ok, that does not work as expected:

And the reason probably is that the API description I am using for the COM server is probably broken.
What is the correct way to receive the channel number?

[jgressmann]

The channel index is available on `struct SuperCANDeviceData2` (see Windows/python/supercan_srv.tlh.h). This struct is an out parameter of `GetDeviceData2` call on the `ISuperCANDevice3` COM interface. The Python code contains code that uses the channel index. That may be a good place to get more information.

…

On Mon, 2026-03-02 at 08:55 -0800, RudolphRiedel wrote: Ok, that does not work as expected: grafik.png (view on web) And the reason probably is that the API description I am using for the COM server is probably broken. What is the correct way to receive the channel number? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.*** >

[RudolphRiedel]

Yeah, I found that, only the .h file I converted from the .idl does not allow me to use it.
At this point I kind of dislike Visual Studio even more.
I will check the Python example if I can salvage anything from it.

[RudolphRiedel]

Here is a cleaned header file:
supercan_com_interface.zip

Claude was so kind to convert the .idl converted file from above into something more useable with plain - before stopping to take my questions again.

Making progress regardless, as this is easier when there is something to latch on instead of starting from scratch. :-)

[RudolphRiedel]

Hmm, yes and no, looks like the COM server stopped working now, fun. :-)